Death of two senior BCSS members: Gordon Rowley and Alan Hill

[bcss]

I am very sorry to tell members that Gordon Rowley has died at the age of 98. Gordon was the most senior member of the NCSS and BCSS (member no 57) having joined in 1946. Gordon has been in a care home for some months and was in very poor health having no quality of life left. Gordon was a Fellow of both the NCSS/BCSS (1956) and the CSSA and was a made a Life member of the NCSS/BCSS in 1981. He was a past president of the BCSS and served in many other roles including Bradleya editor and was writer of many books on Cacti and Succulents. Funeral arrangements will be circulated when available.

I also have to tell members of the death of Alan Hill who was minutes secretary of the BCSS for many years and also served as secretary of the Research Committee and Conservation Commiittee. Alan was awarded the RHMA award for his work in 1996. Funeral arrangements will be circulated when available.

Tony Mace
Life Member, BCSS

[Geoff Lovell]

Very sad news indeed.
My condolences to all the families.

[Chris L]

Very sad news, especially about Gordon.

Gordon was one of the few members who EVERYONE knew - even if they had never met him.

I am sure he will be much missed by friends and family and all those who knew of him.

Condolences to the families concerned.

[RAYWOODBRIDGE]

I knew Gordon was getting on a bit and in poor health, but I never dreamed he was 98, He was as Chris says a man everybody knew even if they had not met him.
I think I met Alan Hill at an early TSG meeting many many years ago, when Tephrocactus were thought of as being something alien.
God bless them both and our thoughts are with their families.

[bcss]

Gordon's funeral will be at Easthampstead Park Crematorium, South Road, Bracknell, Wokingham, RG40 3DW at 12.00 noon on Tuesday 27th August. There will be gathering nearby to follow, details to be arranged.

Tony Mace

[AnTTun]

Such a loss

[Apicra]

Sad losses indeed! When I joined the NCSS cactus society in the late 1960's, it was always the Rowley Reporting page of news items that I would read first in the quarterly journal. As an impressionable youngster, I thought how great it would be to get involved with all this excitement! As a tribute to Gordon, I attach (without copyright permission - naughty!) a sample of his writings.

Derek Tribble

NCSJ 26/2 Jun 1971

[bcss]

The arrangements for Alan Hill's funeral are as folllows:

Thursday 5th September at 12:30. Grenoside Crematorium, Skew Lane, Grenoside, Sheffield S35 8RZ.
There are refreshments afterwards and Alan's family would like to meet as many of Alan's friends as possible. They would like to have an idea of numbers attending, so would be grateful if you could let Craig Barber know if attending.
Tel: 07714239909 or email : info@williamscactus.co.uk.

[MattGibbs]

I recently read a bunch of wartime CSSA american journals and was amazed to find an early 1945 issue contained a letter from Gordon Rowley !
R.I.P.